Lean and Mean

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And employees are part of the equation. At Red River, for example, broken vehicle hub gears used to be carted off to an area where several mechanics worked on them at three different tables. Workers came up with the idea of building one long table with an oval track on it that could slide the parts smoothly and quickly to each of the mechanics, whose tools were within easy reach. Evans is also taking some employees on site visits to efficient private-sector plants, like the British company BAE Systems' facility in York, Pa., where Bradley Fighting Vehicles are built. John Moore, a Bradley repair manager who has worked at Red River for 30 years, says he was skeptical of the new management regime at first. "I thought it was just going to put me out of a job," Moore says. "But I've turned around 180 degrees--I can see what an efficient shop can do."

Other Army facilities have seen similar results. Arkansas' Pine Bluff Arsenal reduced repair recycle time 90% and increased its production rate 50% on M-40 protective gas masks. Letterkenny Army Depot in Pennsylvania has saved $11.9 million in the cost of building the Patriot air-defense missile system.

In many cases, the Army is turning to the private sector for help. The service lets 200,000 contracts each year, and some companies, like Honeywell, Northrop Grumman and BAE Systems, work hand in hand with Army staff on the factory floor. At Red River, for example, BAE spent thousands of dollars for new equipment and physical improvements to the plant. The company has also posted an on-site representative at Red River to oversee repair work on transmissions for BAE's Bradley. Working together, the BAE--Red River team increased output from 1.5 to 4 units per shift. In many Army facilities, the physical work, or "touch labor," is done by military staff, "but the crucial technical support is private industry," says Griffin of the Army Matériel Command. There are more than 300 such partnerships throughout the Army, and Griffin says they accounted for $225 million in cost savings last year alone.

But two large questions loom over the Army's efforts: Is Lean Six Sigma just a management fad? And can a system designed to maximize profits and market share work in an enterprise whose goal is national security? Says an analyst who studies government procurement: "How is the Army going to judge success? Cutting people or saving money is useful, but the challenge will be making sure all the changes are not only relevant to the soldier in the field but that there aren't negative impacts for war fighting." Some outside experts have also raised doubts about the Army's ability to systematically track processes in minute detail as Six Sigma requires.

Even advocates of the Army effort recognize the challenge. Employees at all levels must adopt a new work ethic, learn new systems and often work harder, with no immediate rewards. At Red River, Evans asked his 300 supervisors to volunteer for intensive Lean Six Sigma training but felt that not enough embraced it, so last month he required attendance. "Ninety-nine percent of my folks are onboard, but a few have said they will retire rather than adopt the concept of Lean Six Sigma," Evans says.